Runcation Travel (2024)

08/11/2024

Take a trip. Run somewhere different. Meet new people. Eat food you’ve never tried before. Download Duolingo and see how much of a new language you can learn. Try out those ultralight trail running poles you’ve been meaning to use.

We’ve got a flash sale going through the weekend. Tag a running bud that should join you on a Runcation, share this to your story, and dm us for your custom discount code for $100 off any of our guided trips through September 2025.

📸: from our September Full Send Choquequirao crew on their route to get their Canadian, Peruvian, American, Swedish, Italian, and Tanzanian passports stamped at Machu Picchu

05/11/2024

Part 3: The Running

In my research for the trip I read about the area as a more rugged and wild version of Europe, and as such I anticipated the running being a little more adventure style. I pictured trails overgrown with grass, unmaintained trails, landslides, and talus. To my surprise, I started out running out the door of my guesthouse in Theth Valley and barely stopped until descending back into same valley several days later to finish the route. While there were obviously sections of steeper climbs (this is the mountains after all) that I hiked, there was more often than not runnable rolling singletrack and wide fire roads of smooth dirt and firmly packed crushed limestone.

I was blown away by the ridge running here, and it felt like almost every day had an epic section of dirt singletrack through green grass and trailside wildflowers with views in every direction of jagged limestone mountains shooting up. I was equally in love with the magical sections of birch and beech forests that provided shade in an abnormally hot July and were such a welcome contrast to the open ridge running.

The more wild and rugged side of Europe wasn’t the trails, but instead the lack of crowds and the amenities you can expect to find along the route. While running on my own in the Dolomites or the Alps I rarely carry more than a little water because of the amount of huts and cafes along the route for coffee, cakes, pasta, and more. While running point to point in the Balkans, there were often long sections without much in the way of food or refreshments, and even finding the natural springs with water along the route can be very difficult (and differ season to season). After my first day out in a 17 degrees above average July day 🥵, I learned my lesson and started carrying much more water.

While our self-guided and guided trip is a Level 3 for mileage and elevation gain throughout the week, this is easily our route with the most flowy and runnable mountain trails of any of our trips. Learn more at https://runcation.org/peaks-of-the-balkans-trail-run-guided-selfguided ✌️

Trip Stats
Level 3 ⛰️ ⛰️ ⛰️
Available in Guided (June 29-July 5, 2025) or Self-Guided (June-Sept)
Accommodations: Hotels and Guesthouses
All Meals Included

01/11/2024

Part 2: The Guesthouses

“An Albanian’s house is the dwelling of God and the guest.’ Of God and the guest, you see. So, before it is the house of its master, it is the house of one’s guest. The guest, in an Albanian’s life, represents the supreme ethical category, more important than blood relations. One may pardon the man who spills the blood of one’s father or of one’s son, but never the blood of a guest.”

-Man Booker Prize winner Ismail Kadaré, author of Broken April

The guesthouses of the Balkans are such a unique and wonderful experience and feel like an integral part of running the Peaks of the Balkans. These family-run guesthouses, or Bujtina, range from rustic mountainside lodging to unique A-frame cabins to places that resemble more of a bed and breakfast feel. The accommodations are usually a couple of individual rooms or cabins shared with one to a handful of other people and all the bedding, towels, linens, and soaps are provided for you. Each guesthouse I stayed at was located along the route, and there was always a gorgeous lawn, balcony, deck, or terrace to stretch and relax at after a long day on the trails.

The breakfasts and dinners are often at large communal tables in their terrace or garden where you share plates of incredible fresh local meats, fish, cheeses, vegetables, in-house baked breads, and all sorts of local dishes (I couldn’t get enough of each guesthouse’s own unique take on tarator—an excellent side made of yogurt, cucumber, and fresh dill). You have the chance to meet other travelers and enjoy some wine, beer, or lemon soda with your meal underneath the alpenglow of surrounding limestone mountains. The hosts were always so incredibly accommodating and friendly and it was such a treat to feel welcomed into their guesthouse each afternoon after a long day on the trails.

Our Peaks of the Balkans self-guided and guided itinerary is now available at Runcation.org

30/10/2024

Part 1: The Route

I spent a portion last July running a long distance hiking trail in the Western Balkans passing through Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo traversing the Bjeshkët e Nëmuna (in Albanian) or Prokletije (Serbo-Croatian) mountains, both translating to the Accursed Mountains. The route connects ancient mule, shepherd, and soldier tracks connecting remote regions and villages that were once separated by strict borders. Along the route you can find bunkers built over two generations ago when communist regimes controlled Yugoslavia and Albania.

The history of the trail and the region is complex, and I can’t possibly do it justice in one Instagram post, so consider this a very broad overview of what I learned about the route while I was there. The trail was established by the leaders of Kosovo, Montenegro, and Albania, local hiking clubs and consultants, and the German development organization German GIZ who were inspired by the Balkans Peace Park Project, whose mission is below:

“At the heart of our vision is a transnational park, a rugged mountainous region spanning Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo, a symbol of peace and cooperation where communities from all three countries work together to protect their fragile environment, stimulate local employment, and promote sustainable visitor activities in the region.”

This long distance trail links Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox communities and by partnering with Albanian and Kosovar mountain guides and Montenegrin guesthouses, people are able to hike point to point on the route and experience a different kind of energy in these isolated mountain villages.

For my week-long route, I selected portions I thought would be best for a week of trail running by cutting out longer road sections and adding on other incredible running trails in nearby valleys that weren’t included in the long distance route. It’s incredible, and I encourage you to go and learn more!

Offered as guided + self-guided now on the website:
https://runcation.org/peaks-of-the-balkans-trail-run-guided-selfguided

29/10/2024

Over the next few posts I’m excited to announce our newest trip and share a little of my experience scouting it, but before that it’s time for an overdue introduction. My name is Liz and I’m the founder and owner of Runcation Travel. I’m so grateful you’re all here!

I started running late in high school (thank goodness I never made that Varsity volleyball team) and went on to compete at the D1 level at Columbia University and USC. I went to graduate school for Kinesiology where I studied the impacts of outdoor adventure therapy on young adult cancer survivors and worked in adapted physical activity. Before Runcation I worked internationally with runners in Peru and Kenya and coached and taught in the Kinesiology department at a community college while also working as a freelance writer (surprise, mainly covering running). I started Runcation when I was still coaching and teaching by using my vacation to take scouting trips and then offer them on my summer/winter academic holidays.

As a college and high school coach and while working in guiding and sports media roles, one thing that frustrated me in all these industries was the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, which ultimately led to me starting my own thing. When we started with our first hut to hut Runcation in the Dolomites we were the first non-Italian company to offer trail running trips there (back when you could still just show up at some huts 😏). I make sure I’m on this trip every year because it’s just.that.good. Since then Runcation has expanded to offer guided, self-guided, and custom trips across multiple levels throughout the Europe, South America, the U.S., and I can’t wait to announce what’s next. I’ve personally scouted out each of our trips (because I always dreamt of running there) and we currently have trips ranging from Level 1 to Full Send. I’ve met so many incredible runners on our trips and imho we have the best guides on the planet (seriously). Thanks again for being here, and I hope to see you on a trip soon!

📸 1,2,4,5,7 the mega talented

27/10/2024

We have some new faces here and if you haven’t had a chance to check out the website, we thought we’d share more of what we’re about here. 👇

Runcation Travel creates international running adventures for runners by runners. Instead of having to squeeze in a run on vacation, your run becomes the vehicle for exploring and learning about a new country, new culture, and a new landscape. Our ‘Runcations,’ or running vacations, offer a chance to disconnect, meet new friends, and travel long distance routes through some awe-inspiring landscapes. You also cover some pretty impressive mileage up and down mountains along the way.

Our running vacations were inspired with combining the simplicity of running hut-to-hut in the mountains with the comforts of a vacation. This type of experience has inspired the current trail running retreats we offer, with the added comfort of baggage transport and curated specialty mountain lodges (from mountain huts to 4-star hotels). Even the mountain huts, with 3-course dinners, full bars, comfortable beds, and prime views, are appropriate for a true running vacation.

Our Runcations began with groups of like-minded runners sharing and appreciating the gift of trail running through beautiful places with one another. While our trail running guides are local expert mountain guides and International Mountain Leaders and we’ve taken care of all the details and logistics for you, we like to think our running vacations have the feel of running with your pals and a few local expert friends (even if you just met them at the start of the trip)!

Our current Runcations include guided, self-guided, and custom group trail running tours all over the world. Since 2016 we’ve scouted out the best trail running destinations and offer running holidays in the Italian Dolomites, Chamonix Mont Blanc, Argentinian Patagonia, Slovenia, Peru, California’s Sierra Nevada, the French and Spanish Pyrenees, and more. Learn more at Runcation.org

07/10/2024

On our All Levels Sacred Valley Peru Runcation you’ll have the opportunity to explore the ancient Inca city of Cusco and its surroundings immersed in trails, Peruvian cuisine, culture, and views. You’ll have the chance to trail run past amazing sites including Moray, the earliest agricultural experimental “labs” in existence, and the salt mines of Maras while enjoying views of the Patacancha Valley and Apurimac Canyon. In addition to your trail guides, a local expert guide will accompany you along the way in your journey from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu to guide you through the history and importance these places have in Peruvian culture today.

We want to hear from you! If you’ve been interested in joining this new All Levels trip, when would you like to see it offered in 2025?!

03/10/2024

https://mailchi.mp/9b4fdc45681b/just-launched-haute-route-summer-alps-to-adriatic-dolomites-hut-to-hut-and-more

16/09/2024

That time of year in the mountains when summer starts to wind down and fall (or maybe winter?) is in the air. We love these shots of some of our self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc runners making their way through this past week, even with a dusting of fresh snow on the trails.

07/09/2024

We now have self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc tours available for booking on the website for the summer 2025 season that runs June through September. Send us your date requests, or create a custom self-guided TMB tour (perfect for honeymoons, special occasions, or just because 😉) by sending an email to [email protected]

20/08/2024

We loved our first edition of our Cortina All Levels trip in the Italian Dolomites! Hear what some of our participants had to say about the trip.

Who wants to join us next year?!

13/08/2024

We missed sharing photos from the second half of this group’s hut to hut week in the Dolomites, but wanted to share a few more and shoutout how incredible this group was. From their endless positivity, appreciation, and enjoyment for time spent out on the trails, spending weeks in the mountains with groups like these are why we do what we do. We feel so lucky that 8 years later we still get so many groups with the same feel of our first Hut to Hut Runcation in the Dolomites: having a blast running around in the mountains with your (new) best friends. Grazie mille!

12/08/2024

We capped off our Cortina All Levels trip with a point to point run ending with wellness centers, a final group dinner 🥳, and a special sunset. Did we also mention the live music and disco 🪩 at our hotel?? What a way to end the week!

09/08/2024

From top of the world views to flowy descents, today was all 😃 on our Cortina Dolomites Highlights Runcation.

08/08/2024

Another day, another Dolomite highlight on our Cortina All Levels trip. With perfect weather and a stoked group, they added some bonus miles to this scenic loop before celebrating with delicious Cortina cuisine in town.

07/08/2024

Our Patagonia trip is now sold out and in effort to accommodate our waitlist and make sure no one misses out, we’ve added a second week March 3-10. Head over to the website for all the info and sign up if you’re interested!! 🏔️

06/08/2024

Our new Cortina Highlights of the Dolomites crew has been having a blast and keeping the mood very high. They’ve been checking out the highlights of Cortina’s running during the day and exploring the many cafes and restaurants of the town in the afternoon. They even added a little bonus adventure to the first day to get a little more off the beaten path. Already can’t wait for tomorrow!

05/08/2024

Our new All Levels Cortina highlights trip kicks off today while the group is getting settled in this lovely mountain town! We can’t wait to explore the mountains with them the next week.

We have been loving the psych for summer 2025, and you can expect to see dates and detailed info for our guided, self-guided, and custom trips by the end of September. Please keep an eye on our social media and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date as these become up on the website and live for booking in the coming months. 😊

Runcation Travel